You Are Just The Same
by syntheticpoetry
Summary: "So how do you get a guy to like you?" Tumblr prompt response that basically chronicles the way things could have gone between Sebastian and Dave after that night at Scandal's. One-shot, unless anyone wants to see more.


Author's Note: Another tumblr prompt that turned into something a little bit longer than just a drabble. If anyone wants to see more please leave a review, otherwise I'm just going to leave it where it is now.

* * *

"So how do you get a guy to like you?"

Sebastian smirks as he takes in the question, fiddling with the jukebox still. He's been waiting all night for an offer, has been shaking his perfectly sculpted ass all over the dance floor and come up short. He turns, ready to answer with some cheesy return pick up line, but his face falls at the sight before him.

'_No, no, no. All wrong. Why do I always attract bears like you?'_ he thinks to himself. The boy before him looks anxious, but tries to stand up straight and feign some sort of confidence. It makes Sebastian want to laugh right in his rounded face.

"You get a guy?" he asks, disdain and mockery heavy on each word. "Please."

"Why?" he's visibly upset as he somehow manages to stand up straighter. "What's wrong with me?"

"First off, you are about a hundred pounds overweight. Quit waxing your eyebrows, you look like Liberace," he smirks as he stares at the jukebox still, unwilling to give this boy the courtesy of a face-to-face conversation. "In fact, just… stay in the closet, buddy," Sebastian finally makes a song selection, stands up and claps the boy on the shoulder in another gesture of mockery. He sashays away to the tune of some upbeat dance track and thinks nothing more of the inquisitive boy.

* * *

But the inquisitive boy thinks of Sebastian. He knows that people often use bullying to mask a deeper issue and even this lanky, confident, well-groomed object of his desire must have some form of inner turmoil he's going at alone. Either that or he really is just some conceited jerk that degrades others for fun. But he wants – needs – his initial thought to be the one that's true for the sake of his hope for self-reformation. He stares out at the dance floor and slowly counts to ten in his head before he walks over to Sebastian.

"Back for more?" Sebastian wriggles his hips rhythmically and rolls his shoulders back, "I thought for sure that would have sent you away."

"My name's Dave and I," he trails off momentarily as he second-guesses himself. Deep breath. "And I'd… really like to dance… with you…"

Sebastian smiles, more amused than impressed or honoured, and stops dancing. "You're not my type," he all but spits out.

"How do you know that I'm not?" Dave counters with and Sebastian laughs. Dave waits but Sebastian keeps laughing, hugs his stomach as though he's heard the most intriguing and entertaining joke of his life and can barely contain himself. Dave slumps his shoulders in defeat, takes the message at face value and leaves.

'_Fuck this,'_ he thinks as tears sting his eyes, _"Fuck this and fuck you.'_

* * *

Sebastian doesn't see Dave around for a while after that. He considers the possibility that they serendipitously keep missing each other but soon wonders if Dave simply goes out of his way to avoid him now. After a few seconds of this he does the same thing he does every night: pushes thoughts of Dave away, questioning why he's even lingering on the boy at all, and prowls the dance floor for someone to take home for the night.

After a couple of weeks he hears through the grapevine (essentially fellow Warblers still in touch with Kurt and Blaine) that the inquisitive boy with thin eyebrows attempted suicide. Suddenly the self-implications that his comments the night that met drove Dave to try to take his own life seem too real and he feels winded and weighed down all at once. He cancels rehearsal on the spot and he's faced with inquisitive expressions from all of the Warblers. Their faces remind him much too much of Dave's and he has to leave before he ends up suffocating. He offers no explanation and simply walks away from them.

He has no idea which hospital Dave is located in, is afraid to ask for help from Kurt or Blaine after the little oops-almost-blinded-Blaine-Anderson incident. But he has no one else to ask so desperation leads him to McKinley's halls. He senses the tension before any of the Glee club members even notice him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Blaine is the first to speak, first on his feet, and the first to make his way towards Sebastian with two tightly clenched fists. Kurt doesn't even react, sits frozen in his seat while Puck springs forward to hold Blaine back. Sebastian stays planted in the doorframe. He's still too rattled by the news of Dave, much like Kurt, and doesn't try to evade Blaine's fist. The loud _smack!_ of skin hitting skin seems to elicit a response from Kurt and he snaps out of his daze just in time to see Puck restraining a very feisty Blaine Anderson. "Get off of me, Puck!"

Neither Sebastian nor Kurt recognizes Blaine like this. And it scares them. With some effort, Puck tightens his grip and drags Blaine a few feet away from Sebastian. "I don't care if he just clocked you- he has a point. What the hell are you even doing here, two-step?"

Sebastian gingerly rubs his tender jaw, which he can tell is rapidly bruising, and looks to Kurt. Kurt's staring at Blaine, overwhelmed, with tears streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks. "Kurt, do you know which hospital Dave is in? Did your school make some sort of announcement?"

Behind the four boys the rest of the Glee club is uncharacteristically silent. Blaine's beginning to tire himself out trying to writhe his way from Puck's grip and his frustrated grunts are the only sound filling the choir room. Kurt turns his head and Sebastian swears he can hear everyone behind him collectively draw in their breaths and hold them. "Why do you want to know?" Kurt finally says and dabs at his cheeks with the sleeve of his sweater.

"Personal. It's important. I really need to know," it's the closest Sebastian has ever come to pleading and even Blaine has stopped his squirming and grunting long enough to listen. Kurt holds his gaze and Sebastian recognizes that inquisitive expression coming to haunt him once again. "Do you know or don't you?" he keeps his level of desperation down to an all time low but Kurt places it and something like understanding washes over him. His new expression is unsettling for Sebastian.

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?" Kurt's accusation seems to animate Blaine again and he twists away from Puck. Sebastian flinches instinctively and draws his arms up to shield his face but Blaine doesn't advance towards him. "Didn't you?" Kurt brings the attention back to the initial question.

"I don't know. That's why I want to talk to him," Sebastian slowly lowers his arms and keeps his focus on Blaine, who is practically breathing fire and staring him down with unapologetic eyes. "I may have said something to him, but I didn't think- I had no idea that he would…" he trails off and it suddenly dawns on everyone that this isn't the same old Sebastian they all equally detest.

"Kurt, you were going to stop by after Glee club, weren't you?" Finn pipes up somewhere from behind Kurt and it takes Sebastian a moment to find him despite his fairly tall stature. Kurt's silent and Blaine seems to be the one forgetting to breathe now. Finally he nods and Blaine forgets about Sebastian, forgets about everyone else in the room, and strides over to Kurt.

"Kurt, are- are you sure about this?" he murmurs sweetly, carefully. Kurt merely nods again and it's all the affirmation that Blaine needs from him. His appearance shows both concern and understanding, but Sebastian knows that Blaine respects Kurt far too much to argue with him on this one. He presses his hand to the small of Kurt's back for reassurance, "And what about him?" he nods towards Sebastian.

"I think… Sebastian and I should go together and…" Kurt treads carefully, hesitant and wary of Blaine's reaction, "And I think you should stay here with everyone."

"What- " Blaine begins.

"You too, Finn," Kurt adds, earning the same response from Finn.

"Kurt, no. You don't have to face him by yourself," Blaine pleads, wants Kurt to see reason.

"Blaine, I've," Kurt stammers over the last word, "I've never seen you lose control like that before."

Blaine looks guilty and self-conscious and Sebastian suddenly realizes how annoyed he is that it's taking Kurt so long to answer such a simple question. "Is there any way you can just give me the name and just then meet me there after you're done working through your little domestic predicament here?"

"Can you just," Blaine starts through gritted teeth and Kurt bluntly states "Saint Rita's" as Blaine tells Sebastian to "shut up." Sebastian's out the door before he can witness the repercussions of Blaine's sudden inability to control his anger.

* * *

When Sebastian meekly knocks on the door to Dave's room he's grateful Kurt isn't close behind. This is something he needs to do alone and having Kurt as an audience would only make him lose his nerve. This isn't like him, not at all. Mr. Confident has left the building.

Who is he kidding? Mr. Confident hasn't come anywhere near this hospital.

He gives the door a slight push when no one answers, peeks inside the room and sees Dave, asleep on the bed. He slides his body through the small opening he's made and shuts the door behind himself. It's strange to see him lying there. Strange to think of him as fragile given his intimidating appearance. Now that Sebastian is actually here he isn't quite sure what to do and the entire visit is beginning to feel like a bad dream. A gentle stirring causes him to jump. His eyes dart to the door and he considers fleeing before actually having to face-

"What are you doing here?" the now-very-conscious Dave asks in a voice so small it couldn't possibly belong to him.

"Just... wanted to... see how you were doing," Sebastian responds slowly, as though he's trying to work out the reasoning behind his visit right on the spot.

"How did you hear?" Dave sits up and Sebastian notices the raw, red line around Dave's neck. It sounds a shiver down his spine.

"Word gets around." He can't do this. He decides right then and there that he's in too deep and needs to get out. Fast. But something stronger than fear overtakes him and his feet stay planted. The question he's been so afraid to consider, let alone actually ask, comes tumbling out anyways, "Was this my fault?"

Dave looks perplexed and Sebastian isn't sure what to make of it. He shuffles his feet and considers a multitude of other questions he could ask instead in order to change the topic. "Why would you think it was your fault?"

"Because of that night at Scandals," suddenly Sebastian feels egotistical for even having considered he had such a strong effect on Dave that it would lead him to attempt suicide.

Dave's face scrunches up in concentration, "I was hitting on you and you turned me down or something, right?" Sebastian's slightly offended and disappointed before he can realize why, but he nods none-the-less. "Why would I... over that? I don't really know you at all. We only met the one time."

Sebastian shrugs, but on the inside he doesn't know whether to laugh or scream. He made such a big deal out of that night and here Dave could barely remember what actually happened. "So why did you then?" he doesn't mean to seem blunt and sound so coarse, but the question's already out there and he knows he can't take it back.

They sit in silence for a few moments before Dave admits in a solemn murmur, "Some kids at school, they…" he takes a deep breath and Sebastian feels as though he's intruding on his moment of reflection. "They found out. About me."

"Oh," Sebastian nods lazily and a moment later Kurt's suddenly in the room.

"Oh, Sebastian you're still here," Kurt states it more than he asks.

"You two know each other?" Dave looks between the two of them.

Kurt nods before adding, "He almost blinded my boyfriend while trying to hurt me." Sebastian suddenly feels three feet tall and Dave can tell because his expression is soft and full of unspoken understanding.

"Maybe there's some underlying problem under all of the violence?" Dave offers uncomfortably.

"I'll see you guys around," Sebastian cuts in and leaves quickly before either of them can utter another syllable to or about him.

'_Who the hell is he to try to play psychiatrist?'_ Sebastian ponders as he punches the button for the elevator. But Dave's question has him thinking the entire way home and by the time he walks into his bedroom the anger's ebbed away. Maybe he had a point. Sebastian spent ninety-nine percent of his time perfecting the art of deflection; maybe Dave was able to see him for that one percent of human decency.

Suddenly, he wishes he danced with Dave that night at Scandal's.

* * *

The next day Sebastian visits Dave in the hospital again. It was an unplanned decision he'd made after Warbler rehearsal, but he tells himself he "needs to try again" because the previous visit was a catastrophe rather than "I really think I want to see him again today." Dave is just as surprised as he was last night when Sebastian walks through the door. He replaces it with a warm expression and a smile after a moment though.

"Didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"I didn't expect it either," Sebastian replies honestly, "But here I am."

"But here you are," Dave's smile broadens and Sebastian takes a seat beside the bed. An awkward air quickly surrounds them and Dave unexpectedly states, "I used to bully Kurt."

"Huh?" Sebastian's heard him right but he can't help the instinctive reaction.

"I used to bully Kurt. When we went to McKinley together. That's why I said what I said last night about an underlying problem to violence. I thought maybe… maybe that's why you were such a dick when we first met. For lack of a better word," Dave watches him carefully. "When Kurt mentioned what you did to Blaine, I couldn't stop thinking about it. That you were just covering up for something else, like I was."

"Thought you didn't really remember that night we met," Sebastian's already trying to deflect.

"I lied," Dave's eyes are unwavering, "Tried to play the nonchalant tough guy like you… until I realized that maybe you're not so tough after all."

Sebastian stares back at him and silently contemplates what he's just heard. Suddenly he leans over and plants a kiss on Dave's cheek before asking, "So how do I get this guy to forgive me?"


End file.
